KENNEL COUGH TO SNUFFLES?

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MY DOGS RECENTLY CAME DOWN WITH KENNEL COUGH COMPLEX...
COULD IT MAKE MY RABBITS GET THE SNUFFLES?

2 OF MY RABBITS R SNEEZING N IT STARTED ABOUT THE TIME THE DOGS GOT SICK??

IF SO WHAT MEDS CAN I GIVE?

I HAVE
DOXY
AMOXI
TETRACYCLINE


FOR MY DOGS I HAVE BEEN GIVING AMOXI W/ ROBITUSSIN DM 2X DAILY..

THANX IN ADVANCE
 

I do think that the rabbits could have gotten it from the dogs; it is called bordatella. I will give you a print out to read whcih describes azithromycin as being probably the most effective for bordatella...

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.pdf

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm
Don't use the dog meds.

Doxyclline may be able to be used ??
amoxocillinONLY by injection
I want to pm Randy (resident expert)

please wait until he replies .
don't give anything yet...



 
Rabbits can get bordatella infections of the upper respiratory system. However, the best thing to do is take them in to the vet, as the vet can determine exactly what is causing the runny nose. Runny noses are most commonly a pasturella infection in rabbits, not bordatella. If the vet is able to swab their noses and culture the bacteria, he can determine which bacteria is causing the infection, as well as which antibiotic to use on it. It is very common for many of these bacteria to be highly resistant to most antibiotics, and giving the wrong one can be very dangerous. Rabbits rely heavily on good bacteria in their digestive tracts to digest food, so dosing indiscriminately with an antibiotic can be damaging to these good bacteria. Also, giving the wrong antibiotic can make the bacteria evolve resistance to other antibiotics.

There is another cause of a runny nose in rabbits that I want to mention, and that is tooth problems. The roots of the teeth can grow in strange ways to put pressure on the nasal passages. This often leads to a runny nose, and it can be very serious as infected abscesses can form around these tooth roots, requiring dangerous surgery and putting your rabbit at risk for a systemic bacterial infection such as sepsis.

Do not give any dog medicine without first consulting that list of safe antibiotics angieluv posted. You would need to use that list to calculate the correct dose. I still think it is best to take them to a vet for a culture and antibiotic sensitivity test to be done so that you can treat them in the best, safest way possible.
 
Umm....I doubt your rabbits are showing signs of an actual Bordetella infection. Rabbits often harbor this bacteria but it is usually sub-clinically. It is rare, but not impossible, for your rabbit to have a systemic infection. Most likely if it is an infection it would be pasteruella. Ideally you should have a vet perform a culture to see exactly what is going on. But....Bordetella is usually sensitive to several of the rabbit safe antibiotics.

Doxycycline and Tetracycline are in the same family of drugs...they have a very slight difference in coverage. If I were to suggest theuse ofany of the drugs you mentioned as a "shot gun" treatment....it would certainly be Doxycycline. I have used it previously in rabbits. It is safe (as much as any other drug) and works against a wide spectrum of bacteria. Since it is an oral drug, I would suggest using a probiotic to help support the pH in the GI.

Amoxicillin can be used....but as with all penicillins and derivitives, it is safe only as an injectable. Oral use of these classes of drugs will result in a huge die off of the gram positive bacteria that is responsible for digesting the food...and the combination of things that happen with this type of drug usually results in death. The only side effect I have seen from penicillin injections is the formation of sterile skin abscesses at the injection points. The chances of this happening can be lessened if the drug is buffered with fluids prior to injection.

I would personally use Zithromax. It is highly effective against a wide range of bacteria. Only side effect we have seen, and this has been at far upper end dosing, is a slight GI disturbance in the first few days. This drug does require a prescription. Few vets are aware of it's benefit when used in rabbits. And those that use it generally dose it far below where it should be. But it's a great drug that works against a lot of bacteria that can cause an upper respiratory issue.

As with all drugs and medical treatments, there is always risk especially when using a drug "off label". It is critical that Doxycycline (or any drug for that matter) be properly dosed.

And just to mention....there is no such thing as "snuffles". Generic term from the dark ages. I just have a problem with that word....just a personal thing.

Randy
 
tonyshuman wrote:
Rabbits can get bordatella infections of the upper respiratory system. However, the best thing to do is take them in to the vet, as the vet can determine exactly what is causing the runny nose. Runny noses are most commonly a pasturella infection in rabbits, not bordatella. If the vet is able to swab their noses and culture the bacteria, he can determine which bacteria is causing the infection, as well as which antibiotic to use on it. It is very common for many of these bacteria to be highly resistant to most antibiotics, and giving the wrong one can be very dangerous. Rabbits rely heavily on good bacteria in their digestive tracts to digest food, so dosing indiscriminately with an antibiotic can be damaging to these good bacteria. Also, giving the wrong antibiotic can make the bacteria evolve resistance to other antibiotics.

There is another cause of a runny nose in rabbits that I want to mention, and that is tooth problems. The roots of the teeth can grow in strange ways to put pressure on the nasal passages. This often leads to a runny nose, and it can be very serious as infected abscesses can form around these tooth roots, requiring dangerous surgery and putting your rabbit at risk for a systemic bacterial infection such as sepsis.

Do not give any dog medicine without first consulting that list of safe antibiotics angieluv posted. You would need to use that list to calculate the correct dose. I still think it is best to take them to a vet for a culture and antibiotic sensitivity test to be done so that you can treat them in the best, safest way possible.
their only sneezing no runny nose/eyes
 
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